The present invention relates to a floral shipper assembly for shipping flowers and, more particularly, a floral shipper that provides efficient use of space and ventilation to the flowers contained in the shipper.
Floral shippers are used for shipping and presenting flowers. Prior art floral shippers typically comprise a round-shaped plastic container, also known in the art as a wet container, and a cardboard container surrounding the plastic container. A bunch, or grouping, of flowers is placed into the plastic container. Water is then poured into the plastic container to a desired level. The plastic container is then placed into a plastic bag that extends upward and surrounds the flowers. One or more of the plastic containers are then placed into the cardboard container, which is typically rectangular-shaped and has a height greater than that of the flowers. Cut-outs are provided a few inches below the top of and in the sides of the cardboard container for enabling the container to be grasped and lifted and for providing ventilation into the container during shipping. Before transporting large quantities of the floral shippers, the shippers are assembled on one or more standard-sized shipping pallets generally in side-by-side and stacked formation. Together, the two containers provide protection for and ventilation to the flowers.
These prior art floral shippers and the methods of shipping them have not satisfactorily kept up with the needs of the growing floral industry. As many flowers are shipped intercontinentally, the designs of floral shippers need to incorporate more efficient use of transportation space without compromising the quality of the flowers they carry and display.
By placing the round-shaped plastic container into the rectangular container the space in the corners of the rectangular container go unused. The plastic bag into which the round container is placed prevents air from the cut-outs from circulating around and in between the flowers, especially since the plastic bag usually is above the level of the cut-outs. Moreover, even without the plastic bags the flowers themselves tend to block the cut-outs and prevent air circulation.
When the floral shippers are assembled as an assembly onto a pallet, much of the available space of the pallet goes unused. This is because manufacturers of prior art floral shippers have typically placed greater emphasis on the accommodation of a predetermined amount of flowers rather on the means of shipping the flowers. Thus, for example, when multiple floral shippers of different sizes and shapes are assembled one on top of the other and/or side-by-side on a pallet, there is uneven and, consequently, unuseable space above the top of the shippers and/or to the side of the shippers. Moreover, because the containers vary so much in size and shape, there is no certainty or predictability as to whether a particular assembly of containers will cause one container to inhibit airflow to or from an adjacently-stacked container, in which case the quality of the flowers may be compromised. Over a period of time and a number of shipments, this unuseable space and uncertainty in stacking formations creates inefficiencies in cost, inconveniences when attempts are made to maximize space, and possible degradation in the quality of the flowers shipped.
There is a need for a floral shipper that provides the benefits of protecting and displaying flowers and that may be combined with other floral shippers while maximizing use of transportation space. In addition, there is a need for a floral shipper that can be quickly assembled, easily grasped and moved, and be assembled with other floral shippers with predictable and efficient use of space.
The present invention comprises a floral shipper assembly including an inner container for supporting a floral grouping therein in an upright position and an outer container sized to receive therein the inner container and the upright floral grouping. The outer container has a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls extending upwardly therefrom. At least some of the side walls have a heightened portion that is greater than the height of the inner container and the floral grouping. At least some of the side walls have disposed therein ventilation openings for allowing air to circulate within the outer container. The ventilation openings are disposed in the at least some of the side walls so that when two or more outer containers are oriented adjacent one another, at least some ventilation openings of one outer container align with the ventilation openings of the adjacent outer container.
The outer container is preferably sized to receive therein the inner container and the floral grouping, although the outer container may be sized to accommodate two or more of the inner containers and the upright floral grouping.
The ventilation openings are preferably disposed in opposing side walls of the outer container. This promotes cross ventilation on the inside of the outer container. Even more preferably, at least some of the ventilation openings are disposed immediately above the height of the inner container in the heightened portion of the side walls. At least some of the ventilation openings may also form slots in the outer container sized to permit fingers of the human hand to fit at least partially therethrough. The slots facilitate grasping the floral shipper and moving it from one location to another.
In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the periphery of the inner container matches and slidably engages the inside surface of one or more of the side walls of the outer container. The ventilation openings are disposed at a top edge of the at least some of the side walls for providing a path for air to circulate across and throughout an upper region of the outer container. Preferably, the plurality of side walls comprises at least two width side walls each having a width dimension and two length side walls each having a length dimension, wherein when two or more floral shippers are oriented side-by-side along their width dimension, the ventilation openings in the width side walls automatically align and provide a first path for air circulation across the shippers and when at least one of the two or more floral shippers is oriented side-by-side along the length dimension with another floral shipper, the ventilation openings in the length side walls automatically align and provide a second path for air circulation across the shippers that is transverse to the first path. This causes the paths to impinge one another, thereby causing the air to stir up, or circulate, randomly throughout the inside of the outer container.
In another preferred embodiment, the inner container includes a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls extending upwardly therefrom and the inner container side walls are set off from the outer container side walls by a lip extending outwardly from at least some of the inner side walls of the inner container. Even more preferably, the four side walls are substantially equal in height and form a substantially rectangular-shaped container.
In another preferred embodiment, the inner container includes an outwardly extending lip adjacent a top edge of at least some of the side walls of the inner container wherein the lip corresponds to and slidably engages at least a portion of the inside surface of the outer container. The side walls of the inner container may be tapered inwardly to facilitate stacking of the inner containers. Preferably, the side walls of the inner container include outwardly extending ribs extending substantially from the top to the bottom of the inner container for positioning and guiding the inner container into the outer container.
According to another aspect of the invention, a floral shipper assembly comprises a plurality of floral shippers and a pallet for supporting the floral shippers. Each floral shipper of the assembly includes a width and length dimension such that when a plurality of the shippers are oriented adjacent one another, the overall width and overall length of the adjacent shippers substantially matches the respective width and length of the pallet onto which the floral shippers are arranged.
In a preferred embodiment, the width and length of the floral shippers are 10 inches and 16 inches, respectively, and the width and length of the pallet are 40 inches and 48 inches, respectively, so that the assembly comprises four floral shippers oriented widthwise and three floral shippers oriented lengthwise. Preferably, the floral shippers include side walls having ventilation openings disposed therein such that when the shippers are aligned adjacent to one another the openings line up with one another to permit air to circulate from within one floral shipper to within the adjacent floral shipper.